Act III

The living room was dimly lit, the only sound the faint hum of the mansion's ancient air conditioning. We sat in a loose circle on the floor, the tension in the room so thick it felt like it could suffocate us. Hendrick had suggested a game to pass the time while we waited for Evelyn to return with groceries. It was supposed to be fun, but the way he smirked as he shuffled the deck told me this was anything but.

"Alright," Hendrick said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Truth or Dare. No backing out."

"Seriously?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "We're not twelve."

"Come on," Hendrick shot back, his grin widening. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"I'm not scared," I snapped. "I just think it's stupid."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem," Hendrick said, dealing the cards with a flick of his wrist. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he turned to Maya. "You're up first. Truth or Dare?"

Maya hesitated, glancing at me before answering. "Truth," she said, her voice quiet.

Hendrick leaned forward, his smirk stretching across his face. "Do you really think your sister's been clean since rehab?"

The room fell silent. Maya's eyes widened, and she glanced at me, her expression torn. "I… I don't know," she said finally.

"Maya," I said, my voice sharp. "You know I haven't relapsed."

"Do I?" Maya shot back, her tone defensive. "You've been so distant lately. How am I supposed to know what you're doing?"

"Because I'm your sister," I said, my voice rising. "You're supposed to trust me."

"Trust you?" Maya said, her voice shaking. "You're the one who pushed me away. You're the one who stopped coming to the clubhouse. How am I supposed to trust you when you won't even talk to me?"

The room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Hendrick leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Looks like we hit a nerve."

"Shut up, Hendrick," I snapped, my hands clenched into fists. "This is your fault."

"My fault?" Hendrick said, his tone mocking. "I'm not the one who's been avoiding everyone. I'm not the one who's been lying."

"I haven't been lying!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the room.

"Prove it," Hendrick said, his eyes narrowing. "It's Maya's turn now. How about you let her pat you down as a dare? If you've got nothing to hide, it shouldn't be a problem."

"You're unbelievable," I said, my voice low with anger. "I never agreed to a dare, and I'm not doing this regardless."

"Why not?" Maya said, her voice trembling. "If you've got nothing to hide, why won't you let me?"

I stared at her, my heart sinking. "You're really going to side with him?"

Maya hesitated, her eyes flicking between me and Hendrick. "I just… I need to know."

"Fine," I said, my voice cold. "Do it."

Maya stepped forward, her hands shaking as she patted me down. The room was silent, the tension unbearable. She pulled a cigarette from the front pocket of my overalls and eyed me suspiciously.

"That's not an addiction," I said defensively.

"Isn't it?" Maya argued, her voice rising. "Because this is how it begins. First it's cigarettes, then it's alcohol, and then it's hard drugs. I've seen it before."

"Maya," I started, but before I could say anything else, a sound cut through the silence—a low, guttural moan coming from somewhere deep in the mansion.

"What is that sound?" Masha said, her voice low but filled with terror.

The moan came again, louder this time, and the air seemed to grow colder. I glanced around the room, my heart pounding. "Guys," I said, my voice tight. "Where are Martin and Hendrick?"

We got up and looked around the living room, the eerie silence amplifying our unease. "Babe?!" Maya shouted, her voice trembling as she searched for Hendrick.

"Martin!" Sasha called out, her tone growing more frantic with each passing second.

But instead of a response, we were met with a loud, piercing scream that echoed from the direction of the study. My stomach dropped, and I glanced at Masha, who shared the same wide-eyed expression of dread.

Sasha started toward the study, but I quickly grabbed her arm, shaking my head. My eyes pleaded with her not to follow the sound. She hesitated, her face pale, but before she could argue, a heavy thud reverberated through the mansion, followed by footsteps—slow, deliberate, and growing louder with each step.

Sasha's hand found mine, our fingers interlocking as we braced ourselves for whatever was coming. The footsteps grew closer, echoing through the hallway like a countdown to disaster.

Footsteps.

Footsteps.

Footsteps.

The door swung open, and my heart froze for a beat. But it wasn't a monster that emerged—it was Hendrick, his face pale and his clothes splattered with dark, drying blood. His hands trembled as he clutched the doorframe, his breathing ragged.

"Oh my god!" Masha yelped, her voice barely above a whisper.

Maya rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she reached for him. "Babe…" she started, her voice breaking. "What the hell happened?"

"That's not my blood," Hendrick said, his tone low and hollow, as if he were speaking from somewhere far away.

Sasha's eyes darted toward the study, her voice trembling as she asked, "Where's Martin?"

Hendrick hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I… I couldn't stop it," he said, his voice barely audible.

"Couldn't stop what?" Sasha demanded, her voice rising.

"Martin is… dead," Hendrick said, the words hanging heavy in the air.

Sasha let out a shaky laugh, her voice trembling as she shook her head. "No," she said, her tone desperate. "You two are just pulling a prank on us. This isn't funny."

She started for the study, her voice cracking as she called out, "Martin?" But I grabbed her arm, holding her back. Something in Hendrick's expression told me this wasn't a joke.

"Let me go," Sasha said, her voice firm but trembling. I shook my head, my grip tightening. "Let me go!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she began hitting my chest. "Why won't you let me go?!"

Her fists pounded against me, each blow weaker than the last until she finally broke down, collapsing into sobs. I pulled her close, holding her tightly as she cried into my shoulder, her body shaking with grief.

The room was silent except for Sasha's muffled sobs. Hendrick stood frozen, his face pale and his hands trembling. Maya stared at him, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief. Masha hovered nearby, her eyes wide with terror.

Finally, Hendrick broke the silence, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get out of here."

The words hung in the air, sharp and final. Sasha's sobs quieted, and she pulled away from me, her face streaked with tears. Maya stared at Hendrick, her expression a mix of fear and something else.

I nodded, my heart pounding. "Let's go. Now."

We moved as one, rushing toward the front door. The mansion seemed to close in around us, the shadows stretching and twisting as if alive. The air grew colder with each step, and the faint hum of the air conditioning was replaced by an eerie silence.

Hendrick reached the door first, his bloodied hands grabbed the handle then twisted and pulled, but the door didn't budge. He yanked harder, his face pale. "It's stuck."

"Move," I said, pushing past him. I grabbed the handle and pulled with all my strength, but the door didn't budge. My stomach dropped. "It's locked."

"Evelyn has the keys," Masha said, her voice trembling. "She's not back yet."

"Then we break it down," Hendrick said, his tone desperate. He stepped back and kicked the door, the sound echoing through the mansion. The door didn't move.

"Stop!" Maya said, her voice sharp. "You're going to attract whatever's that is."

Hendrick froze, his face pale. The room fell silent, the weight of our situation pressing down on us. We were trapped.

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